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Index of the Peoples of the World
An index of all the peoples with some notes for design purposes - please add, comment etc mein frund. I should explain that I want to try and give lots of depth to every Civ so there are several political factions for each seperated along at least two axis per Civ. Which may be insane, but I think diversity is good if it means something for everyone. This entire section is basically just design notes at the moment. This will be a long-term project of a page. people Language basis: Polynesian? Clothing: Mostly light and sparse clothing; patterned dyes and woad bodypaint. Some laquered wood armour. Colourful. Perhaps one signature 'precious stone' or something like Jade or pearls? Architecture: ramshackle but ingenious jungle woodwork over the stonework of Kingdom bridges and settlement. Some towns built entirely of woodwork on the jungle floor, where solid land can be found. Organisation: The people territory can loosely be divided into regions based on major towns; but the primary organisational unit in day-to-day life is the tribe. However, Tribes intermarry, travel etc so local relations between tribes can differ from town to town. Geography: Located in a vast stretch of jungle and swamplands in the southern cape of the main continent; particularly Towns: *Town with River access to the Western sea and trade links to the North; built on riverbank on ruins of stone. Butting up against the Empire but not under attack *Inland swamp town under heavy attack from Empire slave-raiders *Inland swamp town on a bridge - party town. New Orleans with added stilts. Capital? *Inland swamp town on a bridge as an industrial base (tree farming) *Coastal town with access to the Eastern sea and trade links out to the Empire Tribes: *Tribe that runs the capital; popular party-tribe? Links to narcotics *Tribe known for being successful merchants. Tradition of apointing clan 'Liars' to handle negotiation, much to the chagrin of everyone they trade with (I stole this one from Terry Pratchett) *Tribe known for being great herbal healers *Tribe decended from a great hero; with a tradition of being great warriors. I imagine this civilisation would take the ability to hunt and kill a crocodile as great mark of skill, and those that manage it (mostly this tribe, not always) wear croc-pelts as a badge of honour *Isolated tribe in the deep swamps, infamous for using deadly poisins *Tribe with links to kingdom; in decline as people become are no longer considered part of the kingdom Empire Language basis: Aztec? Mayan? Clothing and appearance: Oooo, I just thought of Morrowind Dunmer as a loose basis; only with more colour and animal pelts. I think we can make animal pelts highly symbolic to these people; so encountering people who wear crocodile pelts with pride would seem blasphemy. Architecture: Floating pontoon cities and farms built out onto the lake of the Capital; organic lines and squat structures. The Empire is too young too have developed diversity in style. Geogrpahy: Aggressive seafaring empire; based around a massive lake in the Southern Cape of the main continent and therefore right up against the People}. As seafarers, however, they found it easier to expand up the Western coast towards [Mountain Kingdom with colonies in the various islands along the sea routes and conquering coastal cities of the people. Organisation: Caste system; less diversity than average to represent a culture of frightening unity and drive. They all answer to the Capital Castes: *Ruling Class - Crocodile King *Warrior Class - Panther? *Seafaring Class - Sailfin Crocodile (possibly the most honoured after the ruling class) *Craftsman/Artisan Class - Serpent; given more mobility between professions than most *Merchant Class - Hawk; lowest honour *Farming Class - Monkey; often double as slave-keepers so given moderate honour. Also - I think the monkey would have to be symbolic of the Trickster. These people kill monkeys and wear their skin *Slave class - no animal. Pot Island Language Basis: It is a melting pot. Let's say English for the Northern settlers (for convience, now the trade language); Arabic for post-Atlantean scholars and pretty much anything else in passing Clothing and Appearance: I get the image of an eclectic mix of Renaissance Italy and Golden Age of Islam. But, I have no diea what that actually looks like. I think allot of silks. People are reasonably well off. Symbolism for each noble house worn proudly; I want to avoid using animal sigils though just to be different. Architecture: see above for appearance - I'm not really sure Geography: The Island Continent Organisation: Division into Houses of varying lineage. Some are more strongly connected to either the Northern or post-Atlantean cultures; but mostly the peoples are thoroughly inter-mixed. Each House is geographically linked to certain areas. Additionally, there are several broadly-recognised social classes to which one may belong; important to what your day-to-day life will be like but not relevant politically. I hereby coin the title for our Arthur - The King That Was, And Who Will Be Once More Classes: *Nobility (Ruling class. Land owners, rulers, and elite knights on occassion) *Scholar Class (Analogous to the Church in medieval Europe; but there is no church here. People give offerings of Belief to Mage-patrons on a rational basis, and scholarship and academia is honoured for it's own sake. Scholars are allowed to do their own thing over there) *Craftsman/Merchant Class (Often given to forming guilds based on profession; a class on the rise and slightly distinct) *Peasant Class (Peasants in this society work around an 8 hour day with an hour or two break, and have about a third of the year off for festivals etc {This is, apparently, roughly accurate to Medieval peasants. The more you know.} Nobles recruit men-at-arms from this class.) Royal Houses (all houses are working titles): *House of the Stewards; House of the Mountain **Stewards of the King That Was; house of his trusted steward. Vested interest in keeping everything stable and as-is. **Sigil: Snowcapped Mountain on field of Grey **Provide a service of government advisors to all other houses, similar to the Maesters of Game of Thrones. They are forsworn from politically taking sides and trained at the finest Academy of the land **Classic smaller-throne-at-foot-of-larger-throne model; Mountain Fortress as the capital **Dominion over the Mountain and foothills to the south; some forest to the west *Royal House of the Coast **House of the grandson who chose the coastal lands for his kingdom. Financiers and political operators par excellence (think Lannister). Ambitious, but with expansionist eyes outwards **Sigil: Trio of Gold Coins under White Stars; against a Blue Ocean with a Yellow Sky **This house and their bannermen are likely to be involved in any foreign affairs and trade **Port city as a capital; decadent palace; City of Towers **Dominion over the entire L-shaped stretch of the Eastern Coast *Royal House of Storm **Descended from one of the Twins. Despite sigil, the founding King was actually quite calm and considerate. Too attatched to his Twin to completely split the kingdoms, they each pursued different interests. This house takes particular interest in the farmlands to the North-East of the Mountain. Long-term goal of integrating the Northeners; who particularly identify with Storm as a symbol **Sigil: Blue Stormclouds on a Green Field, Impaled by a Silver Sword **This houses' influence is widespread and popular and are seen as champions of the peasant class in particular. Some of the minor houses consider this dangerous. **Joint capital with the House of Hearthfire - the most impressive Citadel in the land. You know, the one they say is impregnable. **Dominion over North-East; particulaly farmlands in the shadow of the mountains *Royal House of Hearthfire **Descended from the other Twins; a founding Queen. Although the fire image chosen was Hearthfire; it was chosen in irony and in a deliberate undermining of the female steretype. The Queen is ambitious and driven, and actively strives to increase holdings amongst the other kingdoms. Has the best trained military. Also has particular interest in industry. Queen has a soft spot for her twin brother, who exasperates her. **Married a high-ranking chief of one of the few wild tribes of the Native people that lurk in the West; and negotiated to bring more in. These natives had a history of violent rivalry with some of the local houses and tensions are high. Unity is enforced by strength of the Queen. **Sigil: Hearthfire on Black Coals, on a Steel Shield **This house often lends military support with elite units to other houses's campaigns, and their dominion includes many of the best industrious areas, both forest, and mineral-rich foothills **Joint Capital with House of Storm - see above **Dominion over West; particularly the mines in the foothills North-West of the Mountains Major Houses (descended from local lords before the Unity; each has it's own city. Really bad placeholder names, no details at the moment) *Order of Hermeus - scholars and mages with academies in every city. Not quite nobles, not quite a guild, not quite a social class, but a bit of each. No political ambitions beyond funding and opportunity for study. Several orders exist; magic study is not any more or less valued than academic although individual academies may have specialisations *Clan Loftwing - only clan of Northerners to remain relatively non-integrated; and intentionally so. Serve as Eagle-mounted sky-knights. Fealty sworn to the realm directly, taken as meaning loyalty to the Stewards but nominally independant. *House of Natives; not actually of Natives as the natives are mostly integrated with everyone else. But they have strong marriage links with Native tribes. Distrusted by House of Troublemakers below *House of Troublemakers - suffered long campaing of mutual predation at hands of native hill-tribes; incensed that Natives are now allowed to form houses. Furious in particular at House of Hill-Tribes, below *House of Arab Supremicists - for want of a better name, those who believe the Northerners are uncultured. *House of the Rivers - fishermen; located near the coast and particularly suffer under predations of the Pirates *House of Silk - one of the more powerful houses by virtue of controlling the silk trade (much in demand for fashion); they have silkworm farms and know the secrets of it's weaving. Some Northern blood *House of the Northerners - again, not literally composed of Northerners; but one with more Northern blood than most. Known for supporting trade missions etc to the Northern continent *House of Merchants - even by the standards of the Royal House of the Coast, these are cunning merchants; the Rothschilds of the Island. Will screw anyone in any sense of the word if there's a profit in it. Minor Houses (many more than listed here, but these have done something worth mentioning. None are powerful enough to control a city) *House of Hill-Tribes - the only group entirely-native. Militant against House of Troublemakers as usurpers. Campaign of trouble has ended due to Queen's intervention *House of Pirates - one particularly canny noble house on the coast has made a point of integrating pirate raiders. They form a line of coastal defence, fighting fire with fire *House of Artisans - patrons of the arts, and known for it; funding high art and setting fashion trends *House of Bankers - sub-branch of the House of Merchants that runs banks out of every major city.